TalkAndroid Weekly Recap for October 21 – October 27, 2013

TalkAndroid_Weekly_Recap


We had another busy week at TalkAndroid so here’s a recap of all the top stories. The Nexus 5 watch continues and this past week appeared to be the calm before the storm. We didn’t see many leaks so the release has to be imminent. Could we go another week without an announcement? By far, the biggest news of the week had to be BBM hitting Android and iOS. Over 10 million people downloaded it in the first 24 hours. T-Mobile continues to threaten big carriers with yet another amazing deal, this time on tablets. It’s time to get caught up and get ready for another exciting week.


Accessories


Xtorm launches solar power pack accessory for Galaxy S4


Android TV


Main focus of Android 4.4 Kit Kat could be Android TV


Apps – New


BBM for Android to hit Google Play today in phased rollout


Learn how to use BBM with these 6 instructional videos


How to bypass the BBM waiting list and start messaging right now


Aereo television streaming service now available in Play Store, available only in select regions


Switching between active Android apps is a breeze with Switchr



To help businesses, Google introduces Google Maps Engine Pro and companion Android app


Contextually aware lockscreen Cover coming soon


Customizable Themer launcher graduates to open beta


Apps – Updates


AT&T launches U-Verse app on Android, allows you to watch clips and schedule DVR recordings on the go


Google Play Store 4.4.21 with slide-out navigation menu now available


Background audio for YouTube app coming?


YouTube prepping subscription music service, launch could be just months away


BBM for Android update adds more device compatibility and some bug fixes


Instagram shares an example of what ads will look like for users


Glympse and Verizon announce new partnership to bring location sharing to text messages


Cameras


Polaroid iM1836 Android-powered camera finally available exclusively through Walmart and Amazon


Carriers


AT&T LTE compatible device shows up in FCC filing, looks like HTC One Max


UK Getting “Glamour Red” HTC One Mini via Phones 4U Beginning in Nov


Sprint Bound HTC One Max Revealed By FCC (Model OP3P700)


T-Mobile announces 200 MB of monthly free data for all tablets


Nexus 7 With LTE and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 for $0 Down Coming To T-Mobile


T-Mobile’s HTC One receiving Android 4.3 starting today


T-Mobile now offering hotspot capabilities and domestic data roaming in “Simple Choice” prepaid plans


Moto X drops to $100 on Moto Maker, Sprint, and US Cellular


Verizon rolling out Moto X camera update to soak testers, doesn’t break root for all users [Update: now pushing to everyone]


HTC’s Mackenzie says status of Verizon HTC One Android 4.3 update to be provided on Monday


Chrome


LG to begin working on Chrome OS projects, files for ‘ChromeOne,’ ‘ChromeDesk,’ and ‘ChromeStation’ trademarks


Contests


+ KitKat Team is Holding Android KitKat Count Contest, Prize Is Still Unclear


Gaming


NVIDIA CEO says the Shield 2 is on the way, next-gen Tegra chip under the hood


Humble Bundle with Android 7 adds four new games


Rovio Updates Angry Birds Friends For Halloween and Kicks Off New Tournament Tomorrow (Video)


Plants vs. Zombies 2 now available in the Play Store


Dead Trigger 2 now available via Play Store


Augmented reality game “Windy Day” coming to Moto X on October 29th


New MOGA Ace Power leaks, but will it fit Android devices?


New Controllers and Ouya 2.0 Geared Up For Next Year’s Release


“Call of Duty: Strike Team” Now Available In The Play Store, Sports $7 Price Tag and Demands 2GB for Download (Video)


Google


Google acquires Android performance optimizer FlexyCore in $23 Million deal


Google brings handwriting input to Gmail and Docs


Google starting to test giant banner ads as part of search results


Google Offering 25-50 GBs Of Google Drive Space On Select HTC Devices


Google possibly building floating, water-based data center in San Francisco Bay


Former music executive’s new venture could be backed by Google


Google Glass


Google launches “Giving Through Glass” to increase transparency in nonprofits


Google TV


Some LG Google TV devices receiving Android 4.2.2, finally saying goodbye to Honeycomb


Hardware


More evidence of an updated Snapdragon 800 CPU appears in benchmarks


Samsung grabs 7.4% of Corning and secures supply of Gorilla Glass through 2023


Japan Display takes screen resolution to new level with 12.1-inch 4K display


Japan Display announces 5.4-inch 543ppi screen for smartphones


Phones – Amazon


Amazon to implement product-oriented, ‘Google Goggles-like’ 3D object recognition in upcoming Amazon phone


Phones – HTC


Google Offering 25-50 GBs Of Google Drive Space On Select HTC Devices


AT&T LTE compatible device shows up in FCC filing, looks like HTC One Max


Sprint Bound HTC One Max Revealed By FCC (Model OP3P700)


T-Mobile’s HTC One receiving Android 4.3 starting today


European users starting to see Android 4.3 and HTC Sense 5.5 updates for HTC One


HTC’s Mackenzie says status of Verizon HTC One Android 4.3 update to be provided on Monday


UK Getting “Glamour Red” HTC One Mini via Phones 4U Beginning in Nov


Phones – LG


LG G Flex shows off back panel controls and makes first video appearance


The LG G Flex will sport a 720p display according to benchmark


Phones – Motorola


Moto X drops to $100 on Moto Maker, Sprint, and US Cellular


Verizon rolling out Moto X camera update to soak testers, doesn’t break root for all users [Update: now pushing to everyone]


Camera Update Coming to the New DROID Line in the Near Future


Phones – Nexus


Nexus 5 could have an embargo that lifts on October 25


Nexus 5 release date may be October 31st in the US with a Canadian launch on November 8th


Nexus 5 image surfaces from frequent leaker


Bluetooth SIG receives filing for Nexus 4 with LTE


Phones – Samsung


Samsung Galaxy S 5 to have the same plastic structure, but with faux leather back


Sales figures on Galaxy S4 disappointing? ‘Not so,’ says Samsung


Galaxy S4 mini to come to United States in November


Galaxy S III bests iPhone 5s and 5c’s touchscreen accuracy


Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update schedule for Samsung devices leaks online


Phones – Sony


Sony Mobile to host November 12 event, possibly the Xperia Z1S global launch


Leaked Sony Xperia Z1S image confirms it’s a Xperia Z1 f variant


ROMs


CyanogenMod About To Release Community and Pro Editions For a Better User Experience. Also Adds New Features


Smartwatches


HTC plans to enter tablet and smartwatch markets soon


More details emerge about HTC’s plan to jump on the smartwatch bandwagon


Samsung extending Galaxy Gear compatibility to Galaxy S III, S4, Note II, and five other devices


Samsung reports Galaxy Gear has an alarmingly high return rate “trending over 30%”


Tablets


HTC plans to enter tablet and smart-watch markets soon


Nexus 7 With LTE and Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 for $0 Down Coming To T-Mobile


Possible Nexus 10 press render surfaces


16 GB Nexus 10 showing out of stock on Google Play


Updates


Does bowling ball tweet hint at October 28 KitKat launch?


T-Mobile’s HTC One receiving Android 4.3 starting today


European users starting to see Android 4.3 and HTC Sense 5.5 updates for HTC One


Verizon rolling out Moto X camera update to soak testers, doesn’t break root for all users [Update: now pushing to everyone]


Camera Update Coming to the New DROID Line in the Near Future


Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update schedule for Samsung devices leaks online


HTC’s Mackenzie says status of Verizon HTC One Android 4.3 update to be provided on Monday


Miscellaneous


Qualcomm invites you down the rabbit hole with slow-mo demo using HTC One devices


Samsung may be forcing consumers to only use official accessories with their devices


Samsung may offer Protection Plus warranty plan to compete with Applecare


Motorola “Moto G” Trademark Revealed. It’s Anyone’s Guess As To What It Could Be


HTC Chairwoman Cher Wang to take a more hands-on approach with the company after HTC’s first unprofitable quarter


HTC looking to outsource phone production due to deceasing demand


HTC focusing on structural changes to right the ship


Amazon’s set-top box has run into delays, launch possibly after the holiday season


Samsung slams HTC and gets fined in the process


Hyundai and Kia to implement Android OS in 2014 cars


LG ships 12 million smartphones in third quarter, looks forward to strong holiday sales


Samsung hits record profit, chip margins provide a big boost




Come comment on this article: TalkAndroid Weekly Recap for October 21 – October 27, 2013





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